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Who Am I ???

Elysian Field Originals

United States

Unique, original, limited edition artisan jewelry, home decor, and miniature fantasy sculptures using highest quality gemstones, metals, minerals, and clays.
My wearable leaf art pieces were featured in a recent issue of FAE Magazine (http://www.faemagazine.com), as well as in Magical Times magazine in the UK.

Elysian Field Originals

December 1, 2009

Hi all! Just wanted to pop in to let you know I have moved to a Wordpress blog, Elysian Field Originals. Please take a minute to drop in and follow me there. I have tried to move the site here over there and it's not working still. So till then...see ya at me new digs.Love,Valerie

April 28, 2009

I've had a few days off from work and saw something the other day I haven't been able to get out of my mind. I was driving my truck (I work part time for a landscaper) back to the yard this past Friday and saw some commotion in the road ahead of me. There in the middle of this two lane busy road was a tiny Yorkshire Terrier running back and forth in the road!! Cringing because I figured at any moment that the poor thing would get squashed on this busy road, I was even more surprised at the number of people pulling over to try and save this wee beast. There had to be at least a dozen different people trying to get the "poor little dog"!

In the midst of all this chaos all I could think about were the times I've seen a "human" in trouble on the side of the road or in a public place and my dismay at how many people walked on by and pretended not to see. Something to think about?

Lastly, here are a few new pair of earrings and a pendant I've listed in my Etsy shop! Enjoy and thanks for stopping in!

April 21, 2009

Nature's beauty! I am really enjoying using gemstones for healing and well being with my leaf spirits lately, and although this could be worn as a pendant, I have transformed this lovely imprint of a Burr Oak, also called Mossycup Oak, as an ornament. Fashion forward fairies or renn folk could do double duty and use this as a focal pendant worthy of a goddess or fairy queen.

Sculpted using a combination of translucent Kato and pearl clay, I've added a layer of antiquing to bring out the detail in the veins and to show depth as well.

Tiger's Eye is a stone of protection that is also very grounding. It enhances integrity, willpower, practicality and correct use of power. It is a stone that enhances good luck, and brings prosperity, often in the form of money.

Spirals represent the cycles of life and interconnectedness of all things.

Stop by my Etsy shop to see some of my new pieces, and thanks for visiting my blog.

Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. Could any of us have passed the 8th grade in 1895?

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina , Kansas , USA . It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina , and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina , KS - 1895

Grammar (Time, one hour)1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of 'lie,''play,' and 'run..'5. Define case; illustrate each case.6 What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time,1 hour 15 minutes)1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.2. A wagon box is 2 ft. Deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. Wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. For tare?4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs.. Coal at $6.00 per ton.6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent..7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. Long at $20 per metre?8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.4. Show the territorial growth of the United States5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton , Bell , Lincoln , Penn, and Howe?8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour) [Do we even know what this is??]1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.' (HUH?)5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis-mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane , vain, vein, raze, raise, rays...10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas ?3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?4. Describe the mountains of North America5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia , Odessa , Denver , Manitoba , Hecla , Yukon , St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

Notice that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete.

Gives the saying 'he only had an 8th grade education' a whole new meaning, doesn't it?! Also shows you how poor our education system has become and, NO, I don't have the answers!

April 8, 2009

Arts in RI team members decided to creatively challenge one another to come up with Mother's Day themed items and post them for you on our blog. We will be running a contest between now and midnight May 9th. All you have to do to enter our contest is leave a comment for the artist about the creation and you will be entered into a random drawing for a basket of handmade goods made by Arts In RI members. You can leave a comment every time we post a new item for multiple chances of winning! We are also offering the winner the option of having the winning basket sent directly to his or her mother if they so choose!

Mother's Day allows us the opportunity to celebrate moms and what they do for us every day of the year. Flowers have always been a traditional way to show appreciation to the moms in our lives and some historians claim that Mother's Day originates from ancient spring festivals dedicated to maternal goddesses. Greeks honored Rhea, wife of Cronus and mother of the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. Ancient Romans had a spring festival dedicated to Cybele, also a mother goddess. Called Hilaria, this celebration lasted for three days and included parades, games and masquerades.

In celebration of Mother's Day, Valerie of Elysian Fields, has a custom listing up for one of her Nature Spirit creations.

April 3, 2009

Today I'd like to introduce you to a great group I've become a member of,ArtsInRI, a very diverse and talented group of artisans here in Rhode Island.We are a juried street team on Etsy, as well as very active in the hand made art scene in RI. Every member strives for the highest level of craftsmanship and artistry in what they do, which is committed to offering high quality handmade alternatives to mass produced products.

Please take a moment to look at their shops, you will not be disappointed and will fall in love with the amazing things they create, as I have done!

...and don't forget totop by theArtsInRI blogfor updates on events that we are attending as well as wonderful giveaways and contests we hold throughout the year.

April 1, 2009

One of my favorite blogs, Linda Smith Originals, presented me with my very first blogging award! I am extremely touched and very flattered *blushes* that Linda felt I deserved a 'Proximity Award'. I think it’s awesome to give fellow blogger's a thumbs up from time-to-time and it’s especially nice when it comes from someone I respect and am honored to call friend.

The award has a special meaning behind it:

“This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!”

The rule of the award is that I now pass it on to 8 people who demonstrate this spirit. It is extremely hard to pick only eight, so here is my list of some incredibly gifted and interesting people. Please be sure to visit their blogs and appreciate their wonderful work. Thank you!

**Recipients, please save the award image above to your own host and post it proudly on your blog! In turn, please select eight bloggers as your choice of receiving the Proximity Award, and share the good news with them!**

March 30, 2009

Ever have a moment of drought in your creativity? A moment when no matter what you try to create falls flat? I admit to having plenty of those moments lately, and they usually happen when I stop listening to my muse and try to force a creative idea.

On a walk in the woods near my home last week I happened on some beautiful pieces of "live wood" from a fallen pine, and popped them into my backpack along with an assorted sundry of treasure the forest offered up. Giving thanks for the gifts, I practically skipped home with excitement from the vibes I felt from my visit.

Once home, I did a thorough baking to sanitize the pine then laid them out on my coffee table and sketched out a few ideas... dryads sometimes place gifts of their special wood alongside the pathways of individuals who love trees, Nature and Mother Earth, and who are aware enough to perceive this special gift. They clone themselves into these pieces of wood with the intention to help us while at the same time to acquire the means to see the world without being rooted to the ground.I decided to honor the spirit of the tree by sculpting an interpretation of a dryad "emerging" from the wood. Dryads are neutral and do not respond to he or she, but I felt that this particular spirit was feminine and sculpted her as such. I do not think she will mind, lol. It's a work in progress and will post pictures as she nears completion.I am thinking that this will make a lovely wall hanging piece, what do you think?

*Note*- The first two pictures are before the polymer clay was cured, and the addition of a left hand. The bottom two are with the first "wash" of color.

March 27, 2009

The days are getting warmer and my Rhode Island Reds are very happy. The youngest are now starting to lay "practice" eggs which started out the size of grape tomatoes and have now progressed to very small eggs. Needless to say the "girls" are very proud of themselves and strut around the yard like they own the place!

I heard someone say that Nature has a way of taking care of itself and watching my chickens givesme a true appreciation for them. In the past the only concern I had for chicken was if it was to be fried, broiled or baked. I look at these funny feathered fiends now, and realize that they each have their own quirky personalities and mannerisms. How would I ever have known that by looking at that chicken leg quarter on my plate what I was missing?Does that mean that I'll stop eating chicken? No, probably not, (I don't eat it often to begin with) but it does mean I'll give them just a little bit more respect and will be a little more grateful when I do.Did I say I love my chickens? Yes, I do... indeed I do!

Sylvan sprite's will love to add these to their wardrobe this Spring! A recent foray into the forest produced some gorgeous imprints of Silver Maple leaves from which these luminous earrings were created.Hand sculpted leaves of Kato clay cured, hand buffed, antiqued, and accented with mica powders. The earring wires are fancy copper and the spiral attached to the leaves are accented with rainbow hued Tourmaline gemstones.These would make a wonderful gift for someone who loves Nature, Fantasy, or, for faeries and dryads looking to add to their Spring accessories!!Namaste!Earrings are 1 1/2" in length and come in a hand crafted gift box.Rainbow toumaline enhances creativity, transforms negativity, and promotes loving aspirations to be realized.

Can be found in my FuzzB shop! Thanks for looking and supporting my art.